8 Essential Steps for Preparing Your Garden For Fall

As the sweltering summer heat of Arizona and Colorado give way to the fall season, several things will change in the climate. States known for their intense heat and dry conditions experience a shift as the monsoon season winds down. Arizona, in particular, has faced a dryer and hotter summer than normal, and these effects will be felt into the fall. To ensure your landscape is properly cared for, it’s time to start planning how and when you will begin preparing your landscape for the fall.

Why Do You Need to Prepare for the Fall?

Summer is one of the more extreme seasons in terms of temperature. Fall is a transitional season as we move from warm to cold. This change will severely affect your garden and everything in it, from the plants to the soil. You need to prepare if you want to plant and grow anything in the fall and the winter, respectively. If you don’t, you can run into these problems:

• Water Waste: This was a particularly dry summer, so your lawn needed more water than usual. The fall should not be the same. If you continue to water the plants in your garden at the same rate as in the summer, you could give them water they don’t need and potentially drown them. 
• Nutrient Depletion: Use different fertilizers for different seasons. Don’t use leftover summer fertilizer. Make sure you get a brand that works all-year round or one made specifically for the fall. 
• Soil Erosion: Even if it didn’t rain as much this summer as in previous ones, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about soil erosion. Other things may cause soil erosion, so you may need to replace your soil. 

Steps For Preparing Your Garden for the Fall

Since garden preparation is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy, beautiful garden year-round, we want to help. Preparing your garden for the change from summer to fall in Arizona can involve several steps. Here are some recommendations:

1. Adjust Your Watering: Since the temperature drops slowly throughout the fall, don’t change the amount immediately. Slowly lessen the amount of water you use. Remember, as the weather cools, plants require less water.
2. Prune Your Plants: You want to get rid of the dead, dying, or overgrown plants in your garden to prepare it for the fall season. The dead plants take up space and can be better used in compost. They also make room for new plants. Speaking of…
3. Plant New Plants: Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs, as well as certain flowers like marigolds, petunias, and snapdragons. Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale can also be planted during the fall season. While there are plants that can live throughout the summer and fall, they may still die naturally from age. If you followed our steps, you will have gotten rid of these plants, which leaves you room to plant new ones.
4. Remember to Fertilize: Apply a slow-release fertilizer to your lawn and garden to help replenish nutrients. It’s not enough to water your plants, they need more, and that’s fertilizer.
5. Try Mulching: Mulch can help protect your plants from colder temperatures and retain moisture. The fall will be warm at first, so you still need mulch to help retain moisture. You still want to use it later as you use less water and need to retain that water as well.
6. Keep Cleaning: Remove any fallen leaves or debris from your garden to prevent diseases and pests. You’ll want to clean it now before it gets covered by any neighboring trees.
7. Consider Composting: With all of the dead matter you’ll be cleaning up from your yard, you should start a compost pile. You can use your garden waste to create nutrient-rich soil to help with the next growing season.
8. Prepare for the Frost: Towards the later half of the fall, as the climate gets colder and frost is expected, cover sensitive plants with a frost cloth or move some of them indoors.

Remember that every garden is unique, so it's important to monitor your plants closely and adjust your care as needed.

Where Can You Get These Materials?

Whether it’s mulch and soil for the garden or tools for pruning your plants, we have everything you could need. We even have materials like compost if you don’t want to make your own, and our experts are experienced enough to teach you how to use the tools and materials. 

We want your landscaping projects to succeed and last through the fall and winter. Feel free to contact our experts. We at your local Pioneer Landscape Centers are here to help.